Murphy gets life sentence for strangling cellmate

CHILLICOTHE – A former Ross Correctional Institution inmate received a life sentence for strangling his cellmate to death nearly two years ago.

Logan Murphy, 23, received the sentence Monday from Ross County Common Pleas Judge Scott Nusbaum, but Murphy will be eligible for parole in 30 years.

Murphy was found guilty on an aggravated murder charge Dec. 12 after a four-day trial. A jury found he strangled 34-year-old Michael Ferrara Jr. inside their shared isolation cell on Jan. 11, 2013.

At trial, Murphy claimed he was "doing a good deed" and said a voice in his head told him to kill Ferrara. Defense attorneys had argued Murphy had a history of mental illness and didn't understand the weight of his actions.

Prosecutors acknowledged Murphy's mental illness but also said that his actions upon the discovery of Ferrara's body in the cell showed he knew what he had done.

Corrections officials said Murphy was found on top of Ferrara and threw a sheet across the room before telling them, "I didn't do it." In April, he was found competent to stand trial.

Ferrara was preparing to be transferred to Cuyahoga County for release after serving four years in prison on burglary and credit card charges. Before the incident, Murphy had been in prison on burglary charges.

Ferrara's family has filed suit in the Ohio Court of Claims because they claim the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction knew Murphy had a history of violent behavior and said he was "lying in wait" for Ferrara.

They are seeking $25,000 per claim on multiple charges, including wrongful death, negligent supervision and training, among others.